The Normal Life

The Normal Life
Start date:	August 26th, 1974
End date:	December 28th, 1974
# of strips:	108 (18 weeks)
Writer:	Lee Falk
Artist:	Sy Barry
Original colorist:	N/A
Preceded by:	"The Curse of the Sacred Image"
Followed by:	"The Cavelands"

"The Normal Life" is the 125th Phantom daily story. The story was written by Lee Falk and drawn by Sy Barry.

Plot synopsis

The Phantom begins to wonder whether Diana perhaps would prefer to be wedded to him if he was "normal". The Phantom starts thinking of doing normal stuff instead of fighting crimes.

Finally, he decides to give the normal life a chance. He goes into the city and tries to live a normal life. Soon he becomes aware of a lot problems with the "normal life"; people tries to rob him, people complain when he works in a high pace, a huge portion of his payings goes to bureaucratic fees, and so on. At one point he saves some people from a burning house and at another he intervene in a bank robbery, both times he is considered a hero. Finally, he has get enough of the city and the "normal life" and he goes back into the jungle.

Appearances

Recurring characters

• The 21st Phantom
• Diana
• Hero
• Devil
• Guran
• Rex
• Miss Tagama
• Stripes
• Kateena
• Baldy
• Solomon and Nefertiti

One-time characters

• Big Pete
• Al
• Beanie
• Jack

Locations

• Bangalla
  • Deep Woods
    • The Skull Cave
      • The Major Treasure Room
      • The Chronicle Room
      • The Phantom Crypt
  • Phantom Head Peak
  • The Whispering Grove
  • Keela-Wee
    • The Jade Hut
  • Eden
  • Box 7
  • unnamed town
    • Bangalla National Bank
• USA

Tribes

• Bandar
• Mori

Organizations

• The Monkey Mail

Old Jungle Sayings

• There are times when the Phantom leaves the jungle and he enters the town as an ordinary man.
• Phantom is rough on roughnecks.

Reprints

This story has been published in the following publications:

Australia

• The Phantom #553 (1975)
• The Phantom #743 (1982)
• The Phantom #1023 (1992)
• The Phantom #1579 (2010)

Brazil

• "Uma Vida Normal", Fantasma #235 (1975)
• "Os Normais", Fantasma #280 (1979)

Canada

• Le Nouvelliste November 5, 1974 – March 13, 1975

Denmark

• Horsens Folkeblad May 11, 1976 – September 17, 1976
• Aalborg Stiftstidende May 11, 1976 – September 18, 1976
• Djursland August 17, 1976 – December 20, 1976
• "Medborger K. Walker", Fantomet #67 (1976)
• "Medborger K. Walker", Fantomet #276 (1986)

Finland

• "Kansalainen K. Walker", Mustanaamio 16/1975
• "Kansalainen K. Walker", Mustanaamio 26/1983
• "Kansalainen K. Walker", Mustanaamio 10/2002
• "Tavallista elämää", Ilta-Sanomat August 5, 2020 – September 4, 2020
• "Kansalainen K. Walker", Mustanaamio & Diana – Rubiinihäät (2017)

France

• "Une vie normale", Phantom, Le Fantôme Spécial #10 (1977)

Iceland

• Tíminn May 21, 1975 – September 30, 1975

India

• "A Strange World", Indrajal Comics #248 (1976)
• "மோசடி கூட்டம்" (romanized as "Mosadi kumbal"), Rani Comics #256 (1995)
• "Ordinary Life", Diamond Comics Digest: Phantom #51
• "புதுப்புது அர்த்தங்கள்" (romanized as "Puthupputhu arththangal"), Muthu Comics #508 (2025)

Italy

• "Una vita normale", Phantom Selezione #7 (1977)
• "Una vita normale", Phantom #317

Jamaica

• The Daily Gleaner August 26, 1974 – December 28, 1974

Mexico

• El Informador November 27, 1974 – April 2, 1975

Norway

• Aftenposten November 24, 1975 – November 25, 1975 (fourth and fifth strip only)
• "En mann ved navn K. Walker", Fantomet 15/1975
• "Medborger K. Walker", Fantomet 2/1984
• "Medborger K. Walker", De beste historiene (1993)
• "Medborger K. Walker", Fantomet 10/2002
• "Medborger Walker", Jubileumsbok #2 (2014)
• "En mann ved navn K. Walker", Rubinbryllupet (2017)

Papua New Guinea

• Papua New Guinea Post-Courier July 22, 1975 – December 19, 1975
• Phantom #2 (197?)

Portugal

• "A Opção", Fantasma #7 (1979)

Spain

• "¿Fin del Fantasma?", El Hombre Enmascarado #25 (1975)
• "¿El fin de Phantom?", Phantom, El Hombre Enmascarado #26 (1998?)
• "La vida normal", The Phantom - El Hombre Enmascarado #16 (2023)

Sweden

• "Medborgare K. Walker", Fantomen 7/1975
• Svenska Dagbladet June 20, 1975 – October 24, 1975
• Göteborgs-Tidningen September 6, 1975 – January 13, 1976
• Nerikes Allehanda May 14, 1976 – September 20, 1976
• Katrineholmskuriren January 8, 1979 – May 17, 1979
• Eesti Päevaleht February 14, 1979 – June 22, 1979
• "Medborgare K. Walker", Fantomen 18/1983
• Upsala Nya Tidning October 7, 1987 – February 15, 1988
• Norrtelje Tidning May 29, 1989 – October 26, 1989
• Göteborgs-Posten September 20, 1992 – December 23, 1992
• "Medborgare K. Walker", Fantomen 10/2002
• "Medborgare K. Walker", Rubinbröllopet (2017)

Turkey

• "Güç Deneme", Kızılmaske #98 – #101 (1975)
• "Güç Deneme", Kızılmaske Albüm #29 – #30 (197?)
• "Güç Deneme", Kızılmaske Albüm #128 – #129
• "Güç Deneme", Kızılmaske Süper Albüm #51– #52
• "Güç Deneme", Kızılmaske Büyük Albüm #22
• "Normal Hayat", Kızılmaske #7 (2013)

United Kingdom

• Birmingham Evening Mail January 2, 1975 – May 8, 1975

USA

• Courier-Post August 26, 1974 – October 26, 1974 - the first half only
• The Alabama Journal August 26, 1974 – December 28, 1974
• Appleton Post-Crescent August 26, 1974 – December 28, 1974
• The Asheville Times August 26, 1974 – December 28, 1974
• The Atlanta Constitution August 26, 1974 – December 28, 1974
• Bangor Daily News August 26, 1974 – December 28, 1974
• Baraboo News Republic August 26, 1974 – December 28, 1974
• Beckley Post Herald August 26, 1974 – December 28, 1974
• The Birmingham News August 26, 1974 – December 28, 1974
• Bradford Era August 26, 1974 – December 28, 1974
• Bucks County Courier Times August 26, 1974 – December 28, 1974
• Charleston Daily Mail August 26, 1974 – December 28, 1974
• Chippewa Herald August 26, 1974 – December 28, 1974
• The Clarksdale Press Register August 26, 1974 – December 28, 1974
• The Daily American August 26, 1974 – December 28, 1974
• The Daily Item August 26, 1974 – December 28, 1974
• The Daily Journal August 26, 1974 – December 28, 1974
• The Daily Standard August 26, 1974 – December 28, 1974
• Delaware County Daily Times August 26, 1974 – December 28, 1974
• The Gadsden Times August 26, 1974 – December 28, 1974
• Green Bay Press-Gazette August 26, 1974 – December 28, 1974
• Herald News August 26, 1974 – December 28, 1974
• The Indianapolis News August 26, 1974 – December 28, 1974
• The Jersey Journal August 26, 1974 – December 28, 1974
• Johnson City Press August 26, 1974 – December 28, 1974
• Laurel Leader-Call August 26, 1974 – December 28, 1974
• The Leaf-Chronicle August 26, 1974 – December 28, 1974
• Ledger-Enquirer August 26, 1974 – December 28, 1974
• Morning Press August 26, 1974 – December 28, 1974
• Morning Sentinel August 26, 1974 – December 28, 1974
• The News Item August 26, 1974 – December 28, 1974
• The News Journal August 26, 1974 – December 28, 1974
• News-Press August 26, 1974 – December 28, 1974
• Observer-Reporter August 26, 1974 – December 28, 1974
• Orlando Sentinel August 26, 1974 – December 28, 1974‎
• Philadelphia Daily News August 26, 1974 – December 28, 1974
• The Plattsburgh Press-Republican August 26, 1974 – December 28, 1974
• Portage Daily Register August 26, 1974 – December 28, 1974
• Reading Eagle August 26, 1974 – December 28, 1974
• Red Bank Register August 26, 1974 – December 28, 1974
• Republican Herald August 26, 1974 – December 28, 1974 ‎
• The Rome Daily Sentinel August 26, 1974 – December 28, 1974
• Rome News-Tribune August 26, 1974 – December 28, 1974
• The Tuscaloosa News August 26, 1974 – December 28, 1974
• Uniontown Morning Herald August 26, 1974 – December 28, 1974
• The Winchester Sun August 26, 1974 – December 28, 1974
• Suffolk News-Herald August 26, 1974 – December 29, 1974
• The Menomonee Falls Gazette #143 – #160 (1974-75)
• "The Normal Life", Comics Revue #339-340 (2014)
• "The Normal Life", The Complete Newspaper Dailies: Volume Twenty-Five 1974–1975 (2022)

West Germany

• "Sieben Tage Tod und Teufel", Phantom #70 (1977)
• "Sieben Tage Tod und Teufel", Phantom Super-band #8

Yugoslavia

• "Gradski život", Denis #159 (1979)